Department for Transport

Roads: Bridleways

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of downgrading (a) C and (b) unsurfaced unclassified roads to bridleways.

Jesse Norman: Following a public consultation in 2011, responsibility for road classification was largely devolved to local highway authorities in April 2012. Under this approach, such authorities were given powers over road classification without the need for central Government approval. Comprehensive guidance on road classification was published by the Department in January 2012, and can be accessed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-road-classification-and-the-primary-route-network

Civil Aviation Authority: Air Space

Robert Courts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department last audited the Civil Aviation Authority's airspace change process.

Jesse Norman: The UK’s independent airspace regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), is responsible for its own airspace change process. However, the CAA is required to ensure that its airspace change process is consistent with the Government’s Air Navigation Guidance and Air Navigation Directions, as updated in October 2017. Officials from the Department continue to work closely with the CAA to ensure its compliance with both the Guidance and the Directions.

Aviation

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 March 2018 to Question 133829 on aviation, whether he still plans to publish the Aviation Strategy in 2018.

Jesse Norman: As stated in my previous answer, the Department for Transport (DFT) will consult on the Aviation Strategy this year (2018). Following the consultation period, DfT will publish the Aviation Strategy in mid 2019.

Department for Transport: Disclosure of Information

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many leak enquiries his Department has undertaken in the last two years.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The leak of any Government information or material is not acceptable and the Government takes such incidents very seriously. It has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment on security matters other than in exceptional circumstances when it is in the public interest to do so.

Heathrow Airport: Railways

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for work to (a) commence and (b) finish on the Western Rail Access to Heathrow project.

Joseph Johnson: My Department is working with Network Rail to progress the design and development of the Western Rail Link to Heathrow scheme and a final consultation on the proposed alignment will commence this month. This is a major step in the development of the scheme and is required before Network Rail can submit its application to the Planning Inspectorate for the necessary consents. The construction timetable is subject to obtaining these planning consents but an indicative timetable would see this commence during Network Rail’s Control Period 6 (the funding period 2019 to 2024).

Speed Limits: Cameras

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made on the comparative effectiveness of conspicuous and inconspicuous speed cameras on reducing speeding.

Jesse Norman: The Government want to ensure fairness for drivers and safety on our roads. The Department’s guidance to local authorities is clear that speed camera housings or the camera operator or the mobile enforcement vehicle should be clearly visible from the driver’s viewpoint.

A19: Accidents

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2018 to Question 129752 on A19: Accidents, if he will publish the information for 2017.

Jesse Norman: Figures for 2017 will be published later this year.

A19: Safety

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will undertake a review of road safety on the A19.

Jesse Norman: Safety is a key priority for Highways England and it keeps the safety of its roads is under continuous review. Since 2011, safety improvements have been delivered at several locations on the A19, involving improvements to traffic signals and road markings, provision of additional road capacity to reduce congestion, and improved facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. The Road Investment Strategy for 2015-2020, announced three schemes for delivery on the A19. These are projected to save at least 380 casualties over a 60-year period. In 2017, the Department for Transport announced a scheme to install signals at the junction of A19 and A179 at Sheraton, in order to address an important local congestion and safety issue.

Driving: Licensing

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing drivers' addresses from driving licenses while allowing the police to continue to access that data centrally to prevent potential data protection breaches.

Jesse Norman: The removal of addresses from driving licences has been considered previously. However, following discussions with motoring organisations and industry, it was decided that there was not a compelling case for doing so.There is no legal requirement for motorists to carry their licence with them. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency recommends that driving licences are kept in a safe and secure place. The police are already able to access drivers’ data, including the address, via the Police National Computer.

Rolling Stock

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 May 2018 to Question 139503, what (a) plans and (b) strategic assessment he has made of the 4,000 vehicles which are due to be replaced on the rail network over the next three years in terms of (i) use and (ii) storage as highlighted in the most recent Long Term Passenger Rolling Stock Strategy given that his Department sets the specification of rail franchises and the specification therein of the macro usage and employment of rolling stock.

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 May 2018 to Question 139503, what discussions have taken place between his Department and Network Rail in relation to the 4,000 vehicles which are due to be replaced on the rail network over the next three years in terms of (a) use and (b) storage as set out in the most recent Long Term Passenger Rolling Stock Strategy.

Joseph Johnson: The rolling stock referred to in the Long Term Passenger Rolling Stock Strategy is privately-owned by several rolling stock owning companies. Rolling stock owning companies compete to supply their trains to train operators. By encouraging a heathy and competitive market for the supply of rolling stock the Department can ensure that value for money is achieved. It is therefore a matter for them to determine the alternative use or storage of their assets.

Railways: Franchises

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment he has made of the profit margins of (a) First Great Western and (b) other rail franchises; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson: Profit margins at each Train Operating Company (TOC) each year are dependent on a range of different factors. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes comparable TOC-by-TOC financial data here: http://orr.gov.uk/rail/publications/reports/uk-rail-industry-financial-information/uk-rail-industry-financial-information-2016-17. This shows that profit margins are less than 3p in the pound across the TOCs. This data is collated and published annually by the independent ORR.

Great Western Rail Franchise

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness, (b) efficiency and (c) value for money of the Great Western franchise in terms of (i) performance and (ii) operation of the services provided under that franchise since 2013.

Joseph Johnson: The Department holds Train Operating Companies to account through its contractual mechanisms, and meets regularly with operators to review performance levels and plans for improvements. It also works closely with ORR, in its role as regulator, in overseeing Network Rail’s performance levels. The Department has also increased its engagement across industry to promote industry sharing of good practice and a top down focus on the day to day performance of the railway. In addition we require all bidders for new rail franchises to describe how they will work in an integrated manner with Network Rail to achieve better performance for passengers.

Transport Focus

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness, (b) efficiency and (c) value for money of Transport Focus; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Transport keeps under review the effectiveness, efficiency and value for money of Transport Focus on an ongoing basis, consistent with the Framework Agreement between the Department and Transport Focus which was updated in 2017 and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/passenger-focus-operational-management-statement. Our current overall assessment of Transport Focus is, as set out in the Consumer Green Paper (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/699937/modernising-consumer-markets-green-paper.pdf), that it plays an important and valued role as an independent user watchdog. In addition to this ongoing review process, the Department is planning to carry out a tailored review of Transport Focus in 2018/19, which will aim to ensure that the body remains fit for purpose, well governed and properly accountable for its work.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Companies: Pay

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to consult on draft secondary legislative proposals to require quoted companies to report annually on the pay ratio between their CEO and the average worker.

Andrew Griffiths: The Government’s Corporate Governance Reform green paper consultation invited views on the option of requiring quoted companies to report on the pay ratio between their CEO and the average worker. In its response to the consultation, published on 29 August 2017, the Government announced that it would legislate to introduce pay ratio reporting as part of a wider set of corporate governance reforms. The detail of the pay ratio reporting provision has been developed since then. This has included two phases of informal consultation with a balanced range of stakeholders. The secondary legislation needed to implement pay ratio reporting, and the other new corporate governance reporting requirements announced last year, will be laid in Parliament this summer.

Free Movement of Labour

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that UK businesses that employ staff abroad under the Posted Workers Directive can retain those employees after the UK leaves the EU.

Andrew Griffiths: The Posting of Workers Directive does not apply to staff who are employed in another Member State by a UK company. It sets out the terms and conditions that a member state can apply to workers employed in one Member State and temporarily providing a service in another Member State. The application or otherwise of the Directive has no impact on whether a worker can continue to be employed by a UK company either before or after the UK leaves the EU. Arrangements for providing services in EU Member States will be part of our Future Economic Partnership with the EU and will be subject to negotiation with the EU.

Pay: Special Guardianship Orders

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reasons statutory adoption pay is not available for people undertaking guardianship orders.

Andrew Griffiths: Statutory Adoption Pay is paid to eligible employees who are adopting a child to enable them to take time off work to settle the child into their new home. Unlike adoptive parents, the majority of special guardians already have an established relationship with the child. They are often relatives or family friends, and the child has often been living with them for an extended period before applying for a Special Guardianship Order. Local authorities have a duty to provide for special guardianship support services: including financial support where necessary. Provision of support is discretionary and is based on an assessment of the guardian’s support needs. Where the child was looked after immediately prior to the making of the special guardianship order, funding from the Adoption Support Fund is available to pay for therapeutic services where they need help to recover from their previous experiences and bond with their new family.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Disclosure of Information

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has signed with employees in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​We have not signed any non-disclosure agreements with employees in the last five years.

Algeria: Christianity

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Algerian Government on the forced closure of Christian churches in that country.

Alistair Burt: We are concerned about the recent church closures in Algeria. Our Ambassador in Algeria has been in touch with the Protestant Church of Algeria, who have raised the closures with the Algerian Ministry of Interior. Our Ambassador will also raise with the Algerian authorities. The Algerian Constitution provides for freedom of conscience and religion. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon discussed the importance of freedom of religion and belief with the Algerian Minister for Religious Affairs in October 2017.

Iran: Nuclear Power

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the observance by Iran of its treaty obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Alistair Burt: The Joint Comprehnesive Plan of Action is the product of 13 years of tireless diplomacy, and it is working, with Iran having reduced its stock of enriched uranium by 95 per cent. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed nine times that Iran is complying with the nuclear deal, most recently in February. The IAEA inspection regime agreed as part of the Iran nuclear deal is one of the most extensive and robust in the history of international nuclear accords. It remains a vitally important way of independently verifying that the deal is working and that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. This is why we are working hard to maintain the deal following the 8 May announcement of US withdrawal.

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of progress on the UK-Sudan Strategic Dialogue.

Harriett Baldwin: The Strategic Dialogue provides an important platform to raise issues of bilateral interest between the UK and Sudan. At the Fifth Round, held in Khartoum on 24 April, we discussed a range of issues with senior Sudanese Government representatives, including the peace process, human rights, development, migration, trade and investment, and counter-terrorism.Both the British Government and the Government of Sudan welcomed the continued progress made since the last round of the UK-Sudan Strategic Dialogue in October, and agreed to continue work jointly on issues of mutual interest.The Communique of the Fifth Round of the Strategic Dialogue is available on the British Government's website.

Sri Lanka: Human Rights

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) his Sri Lankan counterpart and (b) the UK Permanent Representative at the UN on the implementation on UNHRC Resolution 30/1.

Mark Field: I [Mr Field] met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Marapana on 18 April in the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. We discussed the progress made by Sri Lanka against its international commitments, and I set out the British Government's view that there is much remaining to be done, and we have been disappointed by the pace of change.The UK led a strong joint statement at the March 2018 UN Human Rights Council, calling on the Government of Sri Lanka to redouble its efforts to deliver the commitments it made to the Council in 2015 and 2017. This was delivered by our Permanent Representative to the Council in Geneva

Sri Lanka: Human Rights

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made on the implementation in Sri Lanka of UNHRC Resolution 30/1.

Mark Field: ​In March 2018, the UK made a statement to the UN Human Rights Council giving its assessment of Sri Lanka’s progress in the implementation of UNHRC Resolution 30/1. While acknowledging positive steps taken, the statement expressed disappointment at the slow pace of progress towards establishing transitional justice mechanisms in particular.

Sri Lanka: Human Rights and Security

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) human rights and (b) security situation in Sri Lanka.

Mark Field: There is limited progress on human rights in Sri Lanka. In March, the UK made its assessment of Sri Lanka's progress in the implementation of UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution 30/1. While acknowledging positive steps taken, the statement described the slow pace of progress towards establishing transitional justice mechanisms as a disappointment, including delays in introducing new human rights compliant counter-terrorism legislation. Sri Lanka remains a Human Rights Priority Country for the British Government.The Government of Sri Lanka called a State of Emergency in response to attacks on Muslim communities in February 2018. We have encouraged the authorities to ensure that those responsible are investigated and held accountable.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Disclosure of Information

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many leak enquiries his Department has undertaken in the last two years.

Suella Braverman: The leak of any Government information or material is not acceptable and the Government takes such incidents very seriously. It has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment on security matters other than in exceptional circumstances when it is in the public interest to do so.

Attorney General

Domestic Violence: Prosecutions

Philip Davies: To ask the Attorney General, what steps he is taking to improve levels of prosecutions for domestic violence against men.

Robert Buckland: The Government is committed to securing justice for all victims, both male and female, and applies policies fairly and equally. In September 2016, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) published its first ever public statement recognising the needs and experiences of male victims of offences including rape, domestic abuse, harassment, and stalking and child sexual abuse. In summer 2018, they will hold another forum with groups representing the interests of male victims to further explore the issues they face in relation to these offences. CPS Violence against Women and Girls policies are applied fairly and equitably to all perpetrators and victims of crime irrespective of their gender.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Training

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what training his Department has provided to (a) general civil servants, (b) fast stream civil servants and (c) senior civil servants on devolution and inter-governmental relations; how many such courses have taken place; and how many civil servants have attended such training courses in each of the last five years.

Alun Cairns: My Department plays a key role in providing advice and training to civil servants across Whitehall on Welsh devolution and intergovernmental relations. This includes working with the Cabinet Office to deliver events to promote greater understanding of these, including the Devolution and You Programme, Devolution Learning Week and the Civil Service Interchange Programme. In addition, my officials are delivering a programme of bespoke training sessions across Whitehall in the coming weeks on the new devolution settlement in Wales, so that as many officials as possible are aware of the key changes that took place on 1 April.

Railways: South Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what support the UK Government has offered to the Welsh Government to gain European funding for the South Wales Metro project.

Alun Cairns: The UK Government has committed £500 million of funding for the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, which includes delivery of the South Wales Metro project. Responsibility for bidding for EU funding in relation to the South Wales Metro project lies with the Welsh Government. On 13 August 2016, the Chancellor confirmed that where UK organisations, including the Welsh Government, bid directly to the European Commission on a competitive basis for EU funding projects while the UK is still a member of the EU, the Treasury will underwrite the payments of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU.

Trade Agreements: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what (a) quantitative and (b) qualitative analysis his Department has conducted with the Department for International Trade to identify trading opportunities for Wales with countries with which the European Union does not have a trade deal.

Alun Cairns: I am working with my colleagues in the Department for International Trade to identify future trading opportunities, post EU exit. The UK Government has established working group and high-level dialogues with a range of key trade partners, including the United States, Australia, China, Japan, India, the Gulf Cooperation Council and New Zealand. Our priority is to be in a position to begin formal negotiations with key partners immediately after we leave the EU and progress towards substantive deals as swiftly as possible so long as such deals work for Wales and the UK.

Department for Education

Social Mobility Commission: Public Appointments

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2018 to Question 135177, how many of the applicants for the position of Chair of the Social Mobility Commission were (a) women and (b) BAME.

Nadhim Zahawi: We received 21 applications for the role of Chair of the Social Mobility Commission. Of those 21 applicants, 20 completed diversity monitoring forms. A detailed breakdown is set out below:GenderTotalPercentageMale1155%Female945%Ethnicity  Black, Asian, and minority ethnic525%White - British, Irish, Other White background1575%

Teachers: Training

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department provides training for teachers to identify development co-ordination disorder in primary school children.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what pathways his Department has established at schools for the identification of children with hearing impairments.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria are used by his Department for the (a) identification, (b) assessment and (c) intervention for children with hearing impairments; and how adjustments for that condition at (i) GCSE and (ii) A levels are determined.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department provides training for teachers to identify hearing impairments in primary school children.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the current pathways for the identification of children with visual impairments in schools are.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the nationally agreed criteria are for the (a) identification, (b) assessment and (c) intervention for children with visual impairments; and how adjustments for that condition at (i) GCSE and (ii) A-level are determined.

Nadhim Zahawi: In relation to the identification and assessment of special education needs and disabilities (SEND) and the adjustments for GCSEs and A Levels, I refer the hon. Member for South Shields to the answer I gave on 3 May 2018 to Question 138480. The framework of core content for Initial Teacher Training sets out that providers should ensure that trainees are equipped to identify the needs of all pupils, and make provision for them, including seeking the advice of colleagues with specialist knowledge and experience. Trainees should be able to recognise signs that may indicate SEND, and support common educational needs through review of their teaching, making adjustments to overcome any barriers to progress and ensuring that pupils with SEND are able to access the curriculum. Since 2010, the department has funded the development of resources and training to ensure that the schools workforce is equipped to support pupils with specific types of SEND, including sensory impairment and development co-ordination disorder. They have produced a wealth of resources and training which are hosted on the SEND Gateway. Our new contract, which will be delivered by the Whole School Send Consortium, brings together schools, SEND sector organisations and experts to ensure schools are equipped to deliver high-quality teaching that supports children with all kinds of SEND.

Foster Care

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what meetings he has held with representatives of local authorities on private fostering arrangements in the last 12 months.

Nadhim Zahawi: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not held meetings with representatives of local authorities on private fostering arrangements in the last 12 months. Officials are in regular contact with local authorities on a range of issues, including private fostering.

Pupils: Communication Skills

Edward Argar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to ensure that practitioners working in alternative provision are able to access schools to identify and support language and communication needs in children.

Nick Gibb: The Government recognises the importance of early assessment and identification of pupil needs within mainstream school settings. The Department’s statutory guidance on Alternative Provision (AP) also sets out that commissioners of AP should recognise any issues or barriers experienced by the pupils and carry out a thorough assessment of their needs. The full guidance can be viewed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/268940/alternative_provision_statutory_guidance_pdf_version.pdf. On 16 March, the Government published the policy paper ‘Creating Opportunity for All: Our Vision for Alternative Provision’, setting out how it will reform AP. A key element of this paper is the importance of developing and sharing effective practice within AP. The policy paper can be viewed in full here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/690940/Creating_opportunity_for_all.pdf.

Pupils: Communication Skills

Edward Argar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to improve the identification of and support for speech, language, and communications needs, as part of the Green paper on transforming children and young people's mental health provision.

Nick Gibb: The Government introduced, through the Children and Families Act 2014, a framework for ensuring that children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), are identified early and receive the support they require to succeed in education and successfully move into independent adult life. For a number of years, the Department has also funded I CAN, on behalf of The Communication Trust, and several other organisations, to produce materials for use by schools and colleges. These materials and resources are freely available online on the SEND and Education Training Foundation Gateways. The Department of Health and Social Care is also working with the Department and Public Health England to enable early years professionals to identify and support children’s early speech, language and communication needs. The Department is currently considering the responses to the consultation on the green paper ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’. It will be determined how new mental health support teams, proposed in the green paper, can work with other professionals such as speech and language therapists, including support of delivering schools responsibilities for pupils with SEND. The aim is to improve identification of mental health needs, and to provide more comprehensive support for their full range of needs.

Pupils: Visual Impairment

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department provides training for teachers to identify visual impairments in primary school children.

Nick Gibb: The framework of core content for Initial Teacher Training sets out that providers should ensure that trainees are equipped to identify the needs of all pupils, and make provision for them, including seeking the advice of colleagues with specialist knowledge and experience. Trainees should be able to recognise signs that may indicate special educational needs and disability (SEND), including visual impairments, and support common educational needs through review of their teaching, making adjustments to overcome any barriers to progress and ensuring that pupils with SEND are able to access the curriculum.

Pupils: Dyslexia

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what pathways his Department has established at schools for the identification of children with dyslexia.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department provides training for teachers to identify dyslexia in primary school children.

Nadhim Zahawi: In relation to identification of children with dyslexia and training for teachers to identify children with dyslexia, I refer the hon. Member for South Shields to the answer I gave on 3 May 2018 to Question 138480. The framework of core content for Initial Teacher Training sets out that providers should ensure that trainees are equipped to identify the needs of all pupils, and make provision for them, including seeking the advice of colleagues with specialist knowledge and experience. Trainees should be able to recognise signs that may indicate special educational needs and disability (SEND), and support common educational needs through review of their teaching, making adjustments to overcome any barriers to progress and ensuring that pupils with SEND are able to access the curriculum. Since 2010, the department has funded the development of resources and training to ensure that the schools workforce is equipped to support pupils with specific types of SEND, including dyslexia. They have produced a wealth of resources and training which are hosted on the SEND Gateway. From April 2016 to March 2018, we funded the British Dyslexia Association with £1.25 million to deliver training to teachers, ‎to support early identification of learning difficulties, including dyslexia. Our new contract, which will be delivered by the Whole School Send Consortium over two years, brings together schools, SEND sector organisations and experts to ensure schools are equipped to deliver high-quality teaching that supports children with all kinds of SEND. The value for year one is £1.9 million and the value for year two is £1.5 million inclusive of VAT.

Free School Meals

Laura Pidcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the number of children affected by changes to eligibility for free school meals under universal credit.

Nadhim Zahawi: We estimate that around 50,000 more children will benefit from free school meals (FSM) by 2022, compared to the previous system. No child will lose their entitlement to FSM because of these changes. As well as the additional 50,000 pupils mentioned above, hundreds of thousands more children will benefit from the generous protections we will provide.

Sixth Form Education: Rural Areas

Laura Pidcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he had made of the effectiveness of non-vocational funding for post-16 year olds in rural communities.

Laura Pidcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a sparsity factor for rural schools in post-16 education.

Anne Milton: The same funding arrangements apply to 16 to 19-year olds education in different types of institutions and for different programmes, including academic and vocational. The Department for Education and its agencies have previously considered using a sparsity factor for 16 to 19-year olds education (given a factor of this kind is used in 5 to 16-year olds school funding). However, a sparsity factor was not introduced into the 16 to 19-year olds funding system. 16 to 19-year olds education is different in nature to 5 to 16-year olds education. There is a more diverse set of education and training providers to consider, offering a wider choice of programmes. Post-16 students often travel further to access these education options. We recognise that the cost and availability of transport can be an issue for students. Local authorities have a duty to publish a transport policy statement each year that sets out the travel arrangements they will make to support young people to access 16 to 19-year olds education, together with a duty to encourage and support young people to participate in education and training. The 16-19 Bursary Fund enables disadvantaged students to access funding to meet the costs of participating in education and training, and can be used to contribute to transport costs.

Children: Care Homes

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many notifications of the death of a child in a children’s home he or his predecessors have received in each of the last ten years.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data his Department holds on the (a) age, (b) gender, (c) ethnic origin and and (d) disability status of children who died while living in a children’s home in each of the last ten years.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the names of local authority and independent providers who have notified him or his predecessors of the death of a child in one of their children’s homes in each of the last ten years; and how many of such notifications from each of those providers he or his predecessors have received.

Nadhim Zahawi: This is a matter Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member for South Shields and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Education: North of England

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what applications have been made to date to the Northern Powerhouse Education fund.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Education: North of England

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding has been spent in what areas and on which projects from the Northern Powerhouse Education Fund.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Children's Centres: Inspections

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children's centres were not inspected in the last five years.

Nadhim Zahawi: I refer the right hon. Member for East Ham to the answer I gave on 25 January 2018 to Question 124206.

Children's Centres: Inspections

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans Ofsted has to resume the inspection of Children's Centres; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: As I said in my previous answer to questions 124199 and 125731, children’s centre inspections are suspended. As indicated in the letter of 25 September 2015 to Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, the Secretary of State for Education retains the ability to require Ofsted to undertake inspections and Ofsted itself retains the ability to inspect children’s centres if concerns are raised. The letter can also be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sure-start-childrens-centre-inspections-sam-gyimah-letter. Registered early years provision within children’s centres will continue to be inspected by Ofsted as part of the Common Inspection Framework. Local authorities who manage children’s centres are responsible for ensuring the services they provide through children’s centres meet appropriate quality standards.

Schools: Buildings

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding sources are available for schools with derelict or dilapidated buildings.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Pupils: Hyperactivity

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase awareness among teaching staff of (a) diagnosed and (b) undiagnosed ADHD in pupils.

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase the support available to pupils with ADHD.

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that teaching staff are adequately trained to (a) identify and (b) assist pupils with ADHD.

Nadhim Zahawi: The framework of core content for Initial Teacher Training sets out that providers should ensure that trainees are equipped to identify the needs of all pupils, and make provision for them, including seeking the advice of colleagues with specialist knowledge and experience. Trainees should be able to recognise signs that may indicate special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and support common educational needs through review of their teaching, making adjustments to overcome any barriers to progress and ensuring that pupils with SEND are able to access the curriculum. Our new contract, which will be delivered by the Whole School Send Consortium, brings together schools, SEND sector organisations and experts to ensure schools are equipped to deliver high-quality teaching that supports children with all kinds of SEND, including those with ADHD.

Pupils: Endometriosis

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has carried out an assessment of the effect of (a) endometriosis and (b) other menstrual condition on the performance of children and young people in school; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: In 2014, the government introduced a new duty on schools to support pupils with medical conditions and published statutory guidance on this for schools and others to follow. The guidance can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3. The guidance is clear that schools, local authorities, health professionals, commissioners and other support services should work together to ensure that children with medical conditions receive a full education. I met with the Health Conditions in Schools Alliance last week to discuss this. The guidance does not specify individual medical conditions schools should support and the department has not assessed endometriosis or menstrual conditions specifically. For any child whose illness will prevent them from attending school, local authorities are responsible for arranging suitable full-time education.

Schools: Databases

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the response of 23 April 2018 to Question 136295 on children’s centres, what assessment his department has made of the performance of the Get Information About Schools database since it was introduced in September 2017.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Get Information About Schools service is currently a ‘Beta’ release, and therefore, still in development. The service consistently handles over 100,000 user sessions each month and there is an active feedback channel for users to leave comments and suggestions for improvement. In terms of children’s centres records, the data will only be as good as the information provided by local authorities.

Ministry of Justice

Squatting: Business Premises

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of changes in the prevalence of squatting in commercial premises following the introduction of the criminal provisions contained in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice does not collect data on the prevalence of squatting in commercial premesis.

Sentencing: Magistrates

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent research his Department has commissioned into the cost implications of increasing magistrates sentencing powers to 12 months for a single offence; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has plans to increase magistrates' sentencing powers to 12 months for a single offence; and if he will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: The Government has no immediate plans to increase the custodial sentencing powers of magistrates but will continue to monitor the position to ensure we provide magistrates with appropriate and proportionate powers to deal with the cases that come before them.

Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders were sentenced to a custodial sentence of 12 months or less by offence by each Crown Court in the latest year for which figures are available.

Rory Stewart: The number of offenders sentenced to a custodial sentence of 12 months or under in England and Wales in 2016 (the latest available data), by offence and Crown Court, can be viewed in the table. Court proceedings data for 2017 is planned for publication on 17 May 2018.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 73.69 KB)

Janet Scott

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make public the findings of his Department's review into the death of Janet Scott in Nottingham on 29 January.

Rory Stewart: Firstly, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family of Janet Scott. Simon Mellors had been charged with her murder; at the time, he was being supervised on life licence in the community. He was remanded into custody but later found dead in his cell.As is mandatory whenever an offender under statutory probation supervision commits a serious further offence (SFO), the National Probation Service (NPS) has undertaken a vigorous review of its supervision of Simon Mellors. The NPS will share the findings of the review with the family of Janet Scott, so that the family can see the action which the NPS will take to address any improvements needed. SFO reviews are internal and not published.The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act (2004), requires a Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) where a death appears to have resulted from violence within the context of an intimate personal relationship. Community Safety Partnerships appoint an independent Chair and publish DHR Reports, albeit in an anonymised format, unless there are compelling welfare reasons not to do so. It is the duty of the NPS or CRC to participate in the production of the DHR and the findings of the SFO review in this case will be reflected in the contribution which the NPS makes to the DHR.

Treasury

Funerals

Jo Swinson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to hold a consultation on the potential merits of regulatory reform of the funeral plan market.

John Glen: The funeral plan market is an area of interest for HM Treasury. There are a number of different options to review the sector including the possibility to launch a consultation. Further details will follow in due course.

Sports: Clubs

Grant Shapps: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to change in line with inflation the qualifying criteria for tax relief in relation to membership fees for community amateur sports clubs.

Mel Stride: There are currently no plans to change in line with inflation the upper limit for membership fees for tax relief in relation to membership fees for Community Amateur Sports Clubs. The current level was set following consultation.Participating clubs within the scheme benefit from a range of tax reliefs, normally only available to charities, including on income, property and, importantly, business rates.

Child Tax Credit

Alison Thewliss: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of women who have chosen to terminate a pregnancy as a result of the two child restriction in tax credit.

Elizabeth Truss: An impact assessment of the policy was published and is available here: https://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/ia15-006e.pdf Providing support for a maximum of two children in tax credits and Universal Credit is about ensuring those who receive income related benefits face the same financial choices as those supporting themselves solely through work. The government recognises that some claimants are not able to make the same choices about the number of children in their family and has put exceptions in place in these circumstances.

VAT: Tax Evasion

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many of the companies named in the dossier given to HMRC by Retailers Against VAT Abuse Schemes have (a) registered for VAT, (b) been investigated and (c) been prosecuted for VAT abuse.

Mel Stride: Currently 439 of the online sellers named by Retailers Against VAT Abuse Schemes are registered for VAT. HMRC has risk assessed all of the companies named and as a result 781 are either subject to or awaiting further investigation. The rest have been risk assessed as requiring no further action. There have been no prosecutions.

Amazon: VAT

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many notices HMRC have issued to alleged VAT fraudsters on Amazon that have neither responded nor paid any VAT.

Mel Stride: HMRC cannot comment on the affairs of individual taxpayers, as it has a duty to maintain taxpayer confidentiality. However, between September 2016 and 31 March 2018, HMRC has issued a total of 2,048 notices to all online marketplaces.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people submitting tax returns missed the 31st January 2018 deadline; and how much money was accrued to the public purse through fines as a result of late payments.

Mel Stride: As at 31 January 2018, there were just under 746,000 Self-Assessment returns still outstanding. Not all these customers will pay a penalty, as there will be some who will have a justified reason for not filing by the deadline. HMRC does not collect details of the total amount of money accrued from penalties as a result of late payments.

PAYE

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2018 to Question 127398 on PAYE, whether the contract agreed by HMRC routinely provides management information to HMRC summarising the volume of real time information BACS hashes send to HMRC.

Mel Stride: HMRC receives a daily operational report of BACS hashes and a monthly summary. The monthly summary is reviewed and used to ensure there are no issues within the hash matching process. HMRC does not collate this information on an annual basis and to do so would be at a disproportionate cost.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that the level of tax returns submitted (a) on and (b) before the 31 January deadline is greater than 93 per cent.

Mel Stride: In 2018 HMRC achieved just over 93% of returns filed on or before the deadline. In planning for the Self-Assessment deadlines for 2019, HM Revenue and Customs will look at lessons learned from 2018 to consider ways of increasing the filing percentage for the 31st January 2019 deadline.

Landfill Tax

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to consult on increasing the rate of landfill tax beyond 2020.

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to reintroduce the landfill tax escalator from 2020.

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of increasing the rate of landfill tax beyond 2020 on the UK’s existing waste reduction and recycling targets.

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of increasing the rate of landfill tax beyond 2020 on stimulating innovation and investment in the waste and recycling supply chain.

Robert Jenrick: The government announces the rates of Landfill Tax at least 2 years in advance to provide longer term certainty on rates. Autumn Budget 2017 outlined RPI increases in the rates of Landfill Tax for 2019-20. Budget 2018 will announce the rates of Landfill Tax for the year 2020-21. Whether the rates for further years are announced alongside this will be decided as part of the Budget process, as will any potential changes in the rates. Assessments of the impacts of potential changes to the rates will be considered as part of the Budget process.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Training

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what training his Department has provided to (a) general civil servants, (b) fast stream civil servants and (c) senior civil servants on devolution and inter-governmental relations; how many such courses have taken place; and how many civil servants have attended such training courses in each of the last five years.

Jake Berry: All Civil Servants(a) Civil Service Learning provide a range of central learning opportunities, including online and face-to-face training, for all civil servants on Devolution & Intergovernmental Working.Fast Stream(b) Introduced in 2017 as part of Fast Stream policy learning, delegates take part in a Devolution workshop, which all brand new entrant centrally managed Fast Streamers attend as part of their Induction offer.SCS(c) Each nation of the UK leads and hosts an annual SCS conference to learn from each other and build networks across the Policy Profession.MHCLG OfferWithin the Department and to compliment the Civil Service Learning offer, eight events have been organised since 2016 with internal and external speakers. Records of numbers attended are not available:The Devolution Agenda – Impacts and where it goes (external speaker)Does England now want Devolution too? (external speaker)Devolution and You Stall (internal drop in session)Policy Teach In: Devolution in the UK (internal)Policy Teach In: Devolution in the UK (internal)Four nations devolution in UK (Internal)Devolution and Local Growth: Lessons Learnt (internal GPM)Devolution and Local Growth (internal GPM)

Members: Correspondence

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green dated 25 January, 8 March and 18 April 2018 on a leaseholder dispute within that hon. Member's constituency.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: Officials from my Department contacted the office of the Hon Member for Hornsey and Wood Green as there is no record of the letters in the Department. The original letter has now been received by the Department and a response will be sent to the Hon Member, shortly.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of Information

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has signed with employees in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Warships: Fuels

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department made (a) the volume and (b) the cost of the fuel used by the Royal Navy in its maritime operations in each of the last five years.

Guto Bebb: The volume and cost of fuel, from available records, over the last five financial years, were:   Financial Year2013-142014-152015-162016-172017-18Volume (cubic metres)173,572152,584147,260173,967156,872Cost (£ millions)11075414044 Notes: This data represents consumption of diesel by ships, submarines and Naval Bases. Excluded is consumption of aviation fuel for embarked helicopters, or by Naval Air Stations and fuel used by Service vehicles. The costs have been rounded to the nearest million.

Falkland Islands: Aviation

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure adequate access to and from the Falkland Islands for civilians and military personnel during the repair of the runway on Ascension Island.

Mark Lancaster: The military owned and operated South Atlantic Airbridge currently operates twice per week between the UK and the Falkland Islands. In the absence of access to Ascension Island for RAF Voyager operations, the service currently operates via Cape Verde in order to change crews and refuel. This ensures the continuation of the twice weekly service during the Ascension Island runway resurfacing programme.

United Nations: Peacekeeping Operations

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK personnel have been deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in each year since 2000.

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many female UK personnel have been deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in each year since 2000.

Mark Lancaster: Peacekeeping is a key component of the rules-based international system that helps protect and promote UK interests. Some 688 British forces personnel are serving in seven UN missions in six countries: primarily in South Sudan, Cyprus and Somalia, with smaller deployments to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mali and Libya in fulfilment of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 commitment to double the number of UK forces on UN missions. The UK, as the lead on UNSCR 1325 in the UN Security Council, is committed to ensuring that military operations enhance the participation of women, and protect and prevent civilians from conflict-related sexual violence. The UK is committed to increasing the number of women in the British Armed Forces. We are therefore opening up all roles in the British Armed Forces to women and seeking to ensure women are supported to access the full range of roles available, including on UN deployments, staff officer roles and secondments. We have co-launched a “Women, Peace and Security Chiefs of Defence Network”, with Bangladesh and Canada, to develop international best practice in the area and are leading this group in 2018.  Providing a breakdown per year would require checking individual records and could only be done at disproportionate cost. Further data relating to UN missions can be found on their website at https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/troop-and-police-contributors. At 9 May 2018 the following UK personnel are deployed on UN missions:  GenderLocationUN OperationUK OperationTotalFemaleDRCMONUSCOOp PERCIVAL1 CyprusUNFICYPOp TOSCA8 South SudanUNMISSOp TRENTON37 South SudanUNMISSOp VOGUL1Female total   47MaleSomaliaUNSOSOp CATAN42 DRCMONUSCOOp PERCIVAL4 SomaliaUNSOMOp PRAISER4 TunisiaUNSMILOp TRAMAL1 CyprusUNFICYPOp TOSCA264 MaliMINUSMAOp NEWCOMBE2 South SudanUNMISSOp TRENTON316 South SudanUNMISSOp VOGUL8Male total   641Grand Total   688

Ministry of Defence: Cybercrime

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the number of occasions on which companies holding contracts with his Department have been subject to cyber attacks in the last 12 months.

Guto Bebb: I am withholding the information on the number of cyber-attacks launched against Defence contractors as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Ascension Island: Airports

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress is being made with repairs to the runway on Ascension Island.

Mark Lancaster: The runway on Ascension Island is owned and operated by the US Department of Defense (DOD) who are responsible for the full resurfacing programme. The programme is due for completion in 2020.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of women who have chosen to terminate a pregnancy as a result of the two child restriction in universal credit.

Alok Sharma: The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold the information requested.

Universal Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) staff of his Department were allocated to the processing and administration of universal credit claims and (b) universal credit claimants there were in each month of the last three years for which data is available.

Alok Sharma: As of 2018, 5,488.1 full time equivalent staff are working specifically on the processing and administration of Universal Credit claims.The information requested on Universal Credit claimants can be found at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/.Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Universal Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the (a) smallest, (b) average, and (c) largest caseloads for (i) work coaches and (ii) other members of staff working on the processing and administration of universal credit claims in each of the most recent three years for which data is available.

Alok Sharma: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the (a) shortest, (b) average, and (c) longest waiting times for each of her Department's public telephone lines in the most recent 12 months for which data is available.

Kit Malthouse: Data to indicate the average waiting times for each of the Department’s telephone lines is presented in the table below. This reflects the overall performance during the period from April 2017 to March 2018, representing the most recent 12 months for which data is currently available. The Average Speed of Answer (ASA) measures the average customer wait time from the point of entering a queue to connection to an agent. This excludes any time spent in pre-queue messaging and any wait time for calls ultimately abandoned by callers prior to answer.   Average Speed of Answer National DLA Adult00:03:15DWP Online Helpdesk00:00:57Employment and Support Allowance Enquiry00:11:43Jobseekers Allowance Enquiry English00:09:48Income Support Enquiry00:04:15Jobcentre Enquiry Line00:06:29Personal Independence Payment00:04:44Universal Credit Live Service00:05:35Universal Credit Full Service00:03:58 The information requested regarding the shortest and longest waiting times could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Please note: Data source is: HMI 5A report - GI2 telephony data The data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. The data should therefore be treated with caution.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what procedures are in place for quality assurance of reports produced by medical assessors for her Department.

Sarah Newton: All Health Professionals are subject to on-going audit by our assessment providers to ensure that they deliver high quality assessments. The Department also undertakes independent audit to ensure that the advice provided to the Department’s decision makers is of suitable quality, fully explained and justified.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there is a process in place for feedback when an appeal is overturned based on a prior decision of a medical assessor to her Department.

Sarah Newton: Decisions on benefit awards are made by DWP decision makers based on the available evidence, including advice received from health professionals who carry out assessments. The Department is collating information from the First-tier Tribunal to identify and make improvements to the claimant journey. We have an established feedback process to individual health professionals to support the assessment report auditing process, and we are extending these discussions to utilise examples gleaned through the feedback from the tribunals. However, most overturned decisions are because evidence is presented at the tribunal that had not been available earlier in the process.

Jobcentres: Closures

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which job centres have closed since 2010.

Alok Sharma: In March 2018, the 20-year contract covering the majority of DWP’s current estate of over 900 sites came to an end. This presented a significant opportunity to re-evaluate what we needed from our estate, taking into account the impact of Universal Credit, the increased use of online services and the improving employment rates. Given this, it is right that we reconfigure our Jobcentre estate and make the jobcentres fit for the 21st century. This is not about reducing services, but about taking the opportunity to stop spending money on empty space so we can spend more on supporting those in need. Since 1 February 2010 through to 31 March 2018, 211 buildings through which Jobcentre Plus services were delivered have been closed. However, staff and service delivery have been relocated to alternative DWP or partner organisation buildings in order to maintain delivery of services to customers. A full list of the buildings that have been closed is included in the attached pdf.



Buildings List
(PDF Document, 98.82 KB)

Social Security Benefits

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how her Department determines which recipients of (a) employment support allowance and (b) personal independence payment should have their awards reviewed.

Sarah Newton: For Employment and Support Allowance, an award is reviewed as part of the Work Capability Assessment. Using all evidence available as well as a recommendation from a Healthcare Professional, our Decision Makers set re-referral periods for 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 or 36 months. For those with the most severe/lifelong conditions that meet the Severe Conditions Criteria the department has ended further routine reassessments. For Personal Independence Payment reviews of a claimant’s award would usually take place about a year before the award expires where the award is on the basis of a fixed term award with a review date. Ongoing awards will usually be subject to a light touch review at the ten year stage. For both benefits a claimant’s award may be reviewed following a change of circumstances reported to the Department. Reviews may result in awards going up, staying the same, reducing or ceasing altogether.

Home Office

Home Office: Disclosure of Information

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many leak enquiries his Department has undertaken in the last two years.

Victoria Atkins: The leak of any Government information or material is not acceptable and the Government takes such incidents very seriously. It has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment on security matters other than in exceptional circumstances when it is in the public interest to do so.

Immigrants: Health Services

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which NHS trusts have been identified as high risk in relation to the compliant environment and immigration status checking systems.

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the Memorandum of Understanding each NHS Trust has signed with the Home Office in relation to immigration status checking systems.

Caroline Nokes: No NHS Trust has been identified by the Home Office as high risk in relation to the compliant environment and immigration status checking systems.

Police: Biometrics

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timetable is for the conclusion of the review of the use and retention of custody images.

Mr Nick Hurd: The ‘Review of the Use and Retention of Custody Images’ was published in February 2017, and can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/custody-images-review-of-their-use-and-retention

Asylum: Scotland

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of in-person appointments at the Further Submissions Unit in Liverpool that have been offered to asylum applicants living in Scotland in each year for which data is available.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department plans to allow in-person appointments for the Further Submissions Unit to be made at a location in Scotland.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what account is taken of people's travel and accommodation needs when an in-person appointment for the Further Submissions Unit is offered.

Caroline Nokes: The information requested on the estimated number of in-person appointments at the Further Submissions Unit in Liverpool, that have been offered to asylum applicants living in Scotland in each year, is not available in the format requested and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.The Home Office implemented a new policy on 30 March 2015, requiring all individuals who have been refused asylum, who have exhausted their appeal rights and have been found not to be in need of protection by the courts, to make an asylum further submission in person. All individuals who have been refused asylum who wish to submit further submissions on asylum or human rights grounds are required to telephone the Home Office’s Further Submissions Unit and book an appointment to submit their submissions in person in Liverpool.The current Home Office policy is that further submissions must be submitted in person in Liverpool, but arrangements will be kept under review.When scheduling an appointment at the Further Submissions Unit, account is taken of an individual’s location and distance of travel to Liverpool. For those individuals who may have to travel, an appointment will be offered later in the day to reduce any financial implications. Additionally, appointments are scheduled in advanced allowing for the most cost effective form of travel to be booked.In exceptional circumstances, for example due to a disability or severe illness, further submissions from failed asylum seekers may be accepted either through local arrangements or by post, providing that supporting evidence is submitted, as specified within the published further submissions policy which can be accessed at the following:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/502334/Further_Submissions_API_v9_0_EXT.pdf

Immigration: Iraq

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Government's decision on Afghan interpreters’ applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain, what assessment has been made of the potential merits of extending that decision to interpreters who supported the UK armed forces in Iraq.

Caroline Nokes: In 2007, the Government introduced a scheme catering for locally engaged Iraqi nationals who supported our Armed Forces in Iraq. The scheme allowed those who had completed 12 months or more of continuous service to relocate to the UK. Those who relocated had the right to settle here permanently, the right to work and access to mainstream benefits.

Visas: Applications

Laura Pidcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the length of waiting times for decisions on visa applications for (a) visitors, (b) students, (c) families and (d) spouses.

Caroline Nokes: Published data on entry clearance visa processing times, including the percentage of visas processed within published service standards by category, is published online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-operations-transparency-data-february-2018 The large majority of cases are straightforward and are dealt with within Service standards

Visas: Fees and Charges

Laura Pidcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the affordability of fees for visa applications.

Caroline Nokes: An assessment of the impact of all border, immigration and citizenship (BIC) fees was published as an associated document to the Immigration and Nationality Fees (Regulations) 2018. The fees are set at a level that reflects the benefit of a successful application to those who use the service.The relevant information can be found via the following link: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2018/59/pdfs/ukia_20180059_en.pdf

Visas: Applications

Laura Pidcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of the sum accruing to the public purse from failed visa applications in each of the last three years.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office does not hold the information in the format requested. In order to provide the total income received from only rejected visa applications, would involve sifting through all applications data which would exceed the £850 cost limit.Amount received from Visa applications are not differentiated between successful and unsuccessful applications. Our ledger will not allow us to provide this level of detail.

Security Guards: Licensing

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse is of issuing a Security Industry Agency license; and of what is that cost comprised.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Security Industry Authority licence is covered by a fee charged to the applicant.The Security Industry Authority publishes its fees on its website:https://www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk/Pages/licensing-cost.aspx and https://www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk/Documents/acs/sia-acs-fee-change.pdf

Airguns: Licensing

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to publish a response to his Department's Air Weapon's Review, announced on 12 December 2017.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government announced the review of the regulation of air weapons on 9 October. We received a large number of representations from interested parties and members of the public and we are now considering these carefully. We will publish our findings in due course.

Immigrants: Commonwealth

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 May 2018 to Question 136029, on Immigrants: Commonwealth, whether his Department made an assessment of the potential effect of the Immigration Act 2014 on (a) older Commonwealth citizens, (b) undocumented British citizens and (c) other vulnerable groups prior to its implementation.

Caroline Nokes: The Government balances the need to tackle illegal immigration with protecting vulnerable individuals and those who are here lawfully from any unintended consequences. We conduct impact assessments to consider policy objectives, reasons for government intervention and the likely impact of that intervention. An impact assessment was published for the Immigration Act 2014, which can be found at:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/250069/Overarching_Impact_Assessment_final.PDFThe right to rent scheme created by the 2014 Act was also the subject of a full public consultation and related documents can be found at:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/226713/consultation.pdfhttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/249616/Consultation_Response.pdf We have introduced additional safeguards through the Home Office checking services for landlords and employers to ensure members of the Windrush generation are not impacted by measures designed to tackle illegal immigration.

Visas: Skilled Workers

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for visas from highly skilled professionals were refused by his Department between January 2010 and January 2014.

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for visas from highly skilled professionals were refused by his Department between February 2014 and March 2018.

Caroline Nokes: The available information relates to outcomes (grants, refusals, withdrawn, lapsed) of visa applications, broken down by category (including Tier 2 skilled work visas) and is published in the quarterly Immigration Statistics, Visas volume 1, table vi_01_q, latest edition at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2017. The large majority of Tier 2 visa application outcomes are grants.Information for Q1 (January to March) 2018 is planned to be published on 24 May.Tier 2 is the main immigration route for skilled work in the UK.

Deportation: Skilled Workers

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who applied for visas as highly skilled professionals were deported in each year between January 2010 and January 2014.

Caroline Nokes: The available published statistics do not provide the information requested. Total enforced removals and voluntary returns are published in the quarterly Immigration Statistics.https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Deportation: Skilled Workers

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who applied for visas as highly skilled professionals were deported in each year between February 2014 and March 2018.

Caroline Nokes: The available published statistics do not provide the information requested. Total enforced removals and voluntary returns are published in the quarterly Immigration Statistics.https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Visas: Skilled Workers

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time to process and make a decision on a visa application for a highly skilled professional has been in the last three months for which information is available.

Caroline Nokes: Published data on entry clearance visa processing times for skilled work (Tier 2), including the percentage of visas processed within published service standards by category, is published online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-operations-transparency-data-february-2018 The large majority of cases are straightforward and are dealt with within Service standards.

Immigrants: Detainees

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) mean and (b) median time spent is by the current cohort of detainees at the Gatwick detention centres.

Caroline Nokes: Information on the length of detention of people in detention is available in table dt_11_q of the detention tables in the latest releases of ‘Immigration Statistics, October to December 2017’, available from the Home Office website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/681703/detention-oct-dec-2017-tables.odsThe available data provides the length of detention for the detention estate as a whole, and are not broken down by individual place of detention.There are a small number of detainees who have been detained for long periods of time, which would skew the mean value. The median is therefore the most suitable average for these data.

Department for International Development

Palestinians: Newspaper Press

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to her Department's Memorandum of Understanding with the Palestinian Authority (PA), what discussions her Department has had with the PA on Al-Hayat Al-Jadida’s description on 5 April 2018 of Israel as a colonialist satanic plant.

Alistair Burt: The UK strongly condemns any language or actions that could stir up hatred and prejudice. Our sustained support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) is underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding which requires the PA to commit to the principle of non-violence and to tackle language and avoid actions that could incite violence or hatred. The UK continues to urge the Palestinian leadership to uphold this principle, as is demonstrated by my statement regarding President Abbas’ recent remarks at the Palestinian National Congress, which were deeply concerning. On the whole President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority have shown a commitment to non-violence and a two-state solution. President Abbas restated his commitment to the two-state solution on Friday 4 May, and through our financial assistance, the UK will continue to support a stable PA which can act as an effective partner for peace with Israel.

Palestinians: Antisemitism

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to her Department's Memorandum of Understanding with the Palestinian Authority (PA), what discussions her Department has had with the PA on an advisor to the PA President, Mahmoud Al-Habbash, saying that European Jews had a monopoly over the economy.

Alistair Burt: The UK strongly condemns any language or actions that could stir up hatred and prejudice. Our sustained support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) is underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding which requires the PA to commit to the principle of non-violence and to tackle language and avoid actions that could incite violence or hatred. The UK continues to urge the Palestinian leadership to uphold this principle, as is demonstrated by my statement regarding President Abbas’ recent remarks at the Palestinian National Congress, which were deeply concerning. I do not believe that these remarks were consistent with the commitment to non-violence and a two-state solution which President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority have shown. President Abbas restated his commitment to the two-state solution on Friday 4 May, and through our financial assistance, the UK will continue to support a stable PA which can act as an effective partner for peace with Israel.

Palestinians: Schools

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to her Department's Memorandum of Understanding with the Palestinian Authority (PA), what discussions her Department has had with the PA on the decision of its Ministry of Education to devote broadcasts on school radio stations to the life of terrorist Khalili Al-Wazir.

Alistair Burt: The UK strongly condemns any language or actions that could stir up hatred and prejudice. Our sustained support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) is underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding which requires the PA to commit to the principle of non-violence and address allegations of incitement in the education curriculum. We raise issues of incitement in the education sector in our conversations with the PA Ministry for Education and Higher Education.

Palestinians: Terrorism

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2018 to Question 135640, on Palestinians: terrorism, whether the British Consul-General in Jerusalem has met with senior Palestinian representatives to discuss the decision by the Palestinian Authority to pay directly the salaries of convicted terrorists; and if she will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Palestinian Authority (PA) has not yet confirmed or announced that it will provide payments to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails directly. The British Consul General in Jerusalem met with Saeb Erekat, Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), on April 27th and directly raised the issue. The Secretary of State also raised her concerns about payments to prisoners when she last met with the Palestinian Foreign Minister and I will be raising them with the Finance Minister later this month, calling for the payments to be transparent, needs based and affordable.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister for the Middle East of 18 April 2018, Official Report, column 309, how and by whom spending is audited to ensure that there is no diversion to fund terrorist tunnels or other terrorist activity.

Alistair Burt: DFID has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and has robust controls against the diversion of aid including towards terrorist activity. These include extensive due diligence of partners, mapping the flow of our funds and where required, tight earmarking of funds. DFID’s project spending in the OPTs is subject to annual, independent financial audit. The overall programme is also subject to the regular audit cycle of DFID's Internal Audit Department and the National Audit Office. DFID complies with UK and international counter terrorism legislation and our funding agreements commit partners to understand and comply with international counter terrorism legislation.

Department of Health and Social Care

Postnatal Depression

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March to Question 134036 on post-natal depression, in which areas will the four new eight-bed mother and baby units be located.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS England has concluded an open procurement process to establish new mother and baby units in four areas where there is currently no provision. These areas are the South West (Exeter), the East of England (Norwich), the North West (Chorley) and the South East Coast (Dartford).

Cancer: Telephone Services

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which cancer helplines have been outsourced to private companies since 2010.

Steve Brine: The current Breast Screening Helpline is the only cancer helpline answering queries from the public outsourced by Public Health England to a private company.

Breast Cancer: Telephone Services

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will place the correspondence between his Department and Serco on the outsourcing of the breast cancer screening helpline in the Library.

Steve Brine: The helpline has not been additionally outsourced to Serco. Serco has been the existing contractor for Public Health England’s (PHE) helplines since 2015/16. A summary of PHE’s existing contract with Serco has been published at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d1aa641f-b315-4787-adb4-091822bee7e1 The contract allows for expansion according to business need. To collate the relevant correspondence, review and redact any potentially commercially sensitive information would incur disproportionate cost. The correspondence that are not commercially sensitive will be shared with the independent review team and published as appropriate as part of the review.

Cancer: Screening

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which cancer screening programmes have been run in part or entirely by private companies since 2010.

Steve Brine: NHS England contracts at a local level for cancer screening programmes and therefore related information is held by NHS England local teams. In relation to the breast screening programme, NHS England has contracted with one independent sector provider – InHealth – which delivers screening services in three areas which are North and East Devon, Outer North East London, and Surrey and North East Hampshire.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has updated statistics on the number of women affected by the breast cancer screening failure who subsequently died since his oral statement to the House on that matter of 2 May 2018; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: Work is ongoing between NHS Digital and Public Health England to refine the statistics of the number of women affected by serious issues with the NHS Breast Screening Programme. The Secretary of State will provide an update by the end of May when this work is completed.

NHS Foundation Trusts

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Foundation Trusts that have set up wholly owned companies (WOC) have been required to agree changes to their terms of authorisation to protect assets that transfer to the WOC.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times NHS Improvement has required changes to the terms of authorisation of Foundation Trusts that transfer assets to wholly-owned companies.

Stephen Barclay: There is no requirement to change the terms of authorisation when setting up a wholly owned subsidiary and therefore, the Department does not hold the information requested. If trusts hold community interest assets then these are considered public assets and cannot be sold unless subject to a Departmental/Secretary of State approval, however this is only a limited number of assets.For other assets trusts should consider whether transactions are ‘reportable’ under the transactions guidance and therefore would be subject to a review if above the thresholds outlined.NHS Improvement has committed to:- The proposed creation of subsidiary companies becoming a reportable transaction to NHS Improvement under the Transactions Guidance, irrespective of size; and- A requirement for trusts to inform NHS Improvement of any subsequent changes to these companies.

Social Services: Minimum Wage

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on local social care providers who are unable to fund historic back-pay liabilities for sleep-in shifts.

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a fund to pay the historic back pay for sleep-in shifts directly to care workers.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government recognises the pressure that sleep-in backpay liabilities are placing on social care providers and is exploring options to minimise any impact on the sector.The Government has been working closely with representatives of the social care sector in order to ensure that we have a clear understanding of any impact the sector may face.Any intervention to support the sector would need to be proportionate and necessary.

HIV Infection

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to promote the U=U campaign to reduce self-stigma of people who have HIV.

Steve Brine: The U=U campaign is one component of HIV Prevention England activities undertaken on behalf of Public Health England (PHE). PHE funds HIV Prevention England, a consortium led by the Terrence Higgins Trust, to undertake national HIV prevention campaigns which aim to promote a variety of prevention approaches including combatting HIV stigma and discrimination, increasing condom use and access to HIV testing and raising awareness of treatment options that prevent either acquisition or transmission of infection.

Medical Equipment: Certification Quality Marks

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it is his policy that the British Standards Institute should be able to continue to CE Mark medical devices after the UK has left the EU.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has undertaken an impact analysis of the cost to the medical device industry of switching from a UK based Notified Body for CE marking to one in an EU Member State after the UK has left the EU.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The United Kingdom and its Notified Bodies have been integral to ensuring a safe and harmonised regulatory environment within the European Union.On 19 March 2018, my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (David Davis) confirmed that the UK and EU have agreed a fixed implementation period of 21 months, lasting until December 2020. During this time, access to each other’s markets will continue on current terms, providing certainty for businesses and citizens across the EU and UK and time to prepare for the future.The Prime Minister’s Mansion House speech of 2 March 2018 set out what we are aiming for. This included the ambition to agree a comprehensive system of mutual recognition for the trade of goods between the EU and UK – including medical devices. If agreed, this approach would ensure that, as now, products only need to undergo one series of approvals, in one country, to show that they meet the required regulatory standards - including UK based Notified Bodies being able to carry out assessments on behalf of the EU.The outcome is dependent on negotiations, but both parties have a shared aim to protect the health of patients across Europe; and to ensure the safe and timely access to medical devices, even if our precise relationship will - by necessity - change.The Government is undertaking a wide range of analysis looking at the implications of UK withdrawal from the EU. Our programme of analysis is constantly developing and evolving, and includes sectoral analysis. The Government is examining all areas of the UK economy and seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders.

Cabinet Office

Armed Forces and Intelligence Services: Detainees

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons his Department has not launched a public consultation on the potential changes to the Consolidated Guidance to Intelligence Officers and Service Personnel on the Detention and Interviewing of Detainees Overseas, and on the Passing and Receipt of Intelligence Relating to Detainees.

Mr David Lidington: I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the Prime Minister’s Written Ministerial Statement of 15 September 2016 (HCWS157).

Cabinet Office: Disclosure of Information

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many leak enquiries his Department has undertaken in the last two years.

Mr David Lidington: It has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment on security matters other than in exceptional circumstances when it is in the public interest to do so.The leak of any Government information or material is not acceptable and the Government takes such incidents very seriously.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Training

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what training his Department has provided to (a) general civil servants, (b) fast stream civil servants and (c) senior civil servants on devolution and inter-governmental relations; how many such courses have taken place; and how many civil servants have attended such training courses in each of the last five years.

Mr Shailesh Vara: All Civil Servants Civil Service Learning provide a range of central learning opportunities, including online and face-to-face training, for all civil servants on Devolution & Intergovernmental Working. i) The online Devolution & Intergovernmental Working module is for all new and existing civil servants, launched in November 2016. Through four online tutorials, video interviews with senior civil servants, and ‘take back to the office’ activities, it explains how the different governments operating in the UK work together, covering devolution settlements, decentralisation, City Deals and intergovernmental relations, as well as the ‘Devolution Memorandum of Understanding and Supplementary Agreements’. 646 civil servants have engaged with the online training since its release:  StartedCompletedTotal Engagements2018673464132017531712242016279Total122524646 ii) The half day face-to-face Devolution & Intergovernmental Working workshop is also available to all civil servants. Building on the above online module, delegates learn from experienced professionals who have worked on a range of devolution matters about topics such as confidentiality, when to seek legal advice and the boundaries of devolution, where reserved and devolved powers meet. A total of 28 policy professionals have undertaken this training through two workshops, since June 2017. Both the online and face-to-face workshops are included in the recommended learning for all civil servants working in a role related to EU exit. The online learning is included in the new EU Essentials for Policy Professionals programme, for those new to policy making or the civil service; and the face-to-face workshop is included in the EU Policy Practitioner Programme for those with more policy experience.These programmes were launched in April 2018, with a total of 56 policy professionals undertaking the training programmes so far. iii) Also available to civil servants are the EU exit: devolution settlements and intergovernmental working events. Delegates hear the views of Permanent Secretaries, and other senior civil servants from the devolved administrations and territorial offices, on intergovernmental relations within the current political climate.Seven of these events have been delivered to 96 attendees across three Departments, since March 2017. Fast Stream  Introduced in 2017 as part of Fast Stream policy learning, delegates take part in a Devolution workshop, which all brand new entrant centrally managed Fast Streamers attend as part of their Induction offer. This was delivered in 2017 to over 800 Fast Streamers. We've also delivered four optional Devolution workshops as part of Fast Stream Policy Base Camp to 150 year 3/4 centrally managed Fast Streamers over the last two years.Fast Streamers are also required to complete the online 'Devolution and Intergovernmental Working' e-learning product as mandatory e-learning within their first year on the Fast Stream programme. SCS  Each nation of the UK leads and hosts an annual SCS conference to learn from each other and build networks across the Policy Profession. These have been held on 28/29 April 2016 in Cardiff, 20/21 April 2017 in Belfast (this included Irish Government Civil Servants too) and 26/27 April 2018 in Edinburgh. It will be for England to host in 2019. All of these events each have around 100 participants across the administrations. The Devolution and You program Devolution and You was established in 2015 following a Civil Service Board commission and promotes greater understanding of devolution among civil servants and for better intergovernmental working across the different administrations in the UK. The program is led by Cabinet Office in partnership with the Scottish and Welsh Governments. It aims to build devolution awareness and civil servant networks across the One Civil Service through shared learning and knowledge exchange throughout the year.The Devolution and You programme enables civil servants to strengthen their skill sets and build open and positive relationships as they engage in complex discussions across the One Civil Service. In 2017, the program trained over 2000 civil servants from across the UK through a variety of forums, including Civil Service Learning resources and through bespoke training;  Local inductions for new starters;  Departmental masterclasses, including tailored sessions for specialised teams such as communications, private office, policy and legislation;  Civil Service Live presentations;  Civil Service Local Devolution Masterclasses;  Resource material available to civil servants across the One Civil Service. We also work in partnership with the Scottish and Welsh Governments to run the One Civil Service Interchange program which supports these objectives by providing a platform on which civil servants can engage directly with their peers working in other UK administrations, through an immersive programme of work-shadowing and educational events over the course of a week. The programme runs three times a year, with the UK, Welsh, and Scottish Governments each hosting an annual event. Since 2017, the Northern Ireland Civil Service has also participated in the programme by providing participants to the events. The most recent iteration of the UK Government Interchange Week ran 5-9 March 2018 and, with a record number of applications, it was the largest Interchange Week to date. In total, 83 Civil Servants from the Scottish (43) and Welsh (18) Governments and the Northern Ireland Executive (22) participated in a series of whole-group sessions and individual work shadowing across nineteen UK Government departments. In terms of training provided by the department, a two-hour introduction to devolution was arranged for all staff in December 2016. The department does not hold central training records for Northern Ireland Office officials in respect of these subjects.

Northern Ireland Office: Training

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what training his Department has provided to (a) general civil servants, (b) fast stream civil servants and (c) senior civil servants on understanding the scrutiny and legislative roles of the UK Parliament; how many such courses have taken place; and how many civil servants have attended such training courses in each of the last five years.

Mr Shailesh Vara: All Civil Servants  All Civil Servants have access to the central learning offer provided through Civil Service Learning. There are one-day workshops on Understanding Parliament, which are delivered at Foundation (introduction) and Practitioner (advanced) levels. Both of these workshops cover Parliament’s scrutiny and legislative roles. Dedicated training sessions covering specific topics are also available. These include Introduction to Parliament, Select Committees, Debates and Voting, Pre and Post Legislative Scrutiny, Parliamentary Questions, Delegated Legislation, and Primary Legislation. A half-day workshop is available on producing effective explanatory memoranda to accompany secondary legislation. The Cabinet Office’s Parliamentary Business and Legislation Team provide training to Bill Teams. The Government Legal Department and Parliamentary Counsel run a course on Dealing with Parliamentary Bills for Lawyers, which covers parliamentary stages and handling. Stand-alone events are run, e.g. during Parliament Week. Bespoke sessions for government departments are available on request. It is well established that people need just-in-time training and resources to help them while on the job, so Civil Service Learning provide on-line resources, such as weblinks, guides and videos. There is an e-learning course on Understanding Parliament, and access to two Massive Open On-Line Courses (on Understanding Parliament and Select Committees) which have been produced in partnership between the House of Commons and Future Learn, a digital education platform owned by the Open University.   Fast Stream Specific  Fast Stream Civil Servants receive a Parliament workshop during their induction, covering the role of Parliament in scrutinising government policy. For Policy Professionals, a Fast Stream Base Camp includes an optional workshop which focuses on the legislative process in both Houses, typical timetables and roles of Ministers, Bill Teams and civil servants in delivering legislation. SCS Specific  For Senior Civil Servants, a tailored a one-day workshop, Leading in Parliament, is available, which covers Parliament’s role, powers and relationship with government, the day-to day work of MPs and Peers. A workshop delivered jointly between Civil Service Learning and HM Treasury is provided for Accounting Officers. Civil Service Learning provides a workshop specifically for Senior Responsible Officers with responsibility for secondary legislation. Every department has an SCS Parliamentary Champion. There is a buddy system in place between Parliamentary Champions and senior House staff.  In addition, the Centre for Applied Learning, the learning provider used by the Northern Ireland Civil Service, provides a number of courses on legislation, which are available to staff in my department. My department does not hold central training records for Northern Ireland Office officials in respect of these subjects.

Northern Ireland Office: Official Cars

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the job titles are of civil servants in her Department who have been provided with (a) an official car and (b) a driver; and how many civil servants are so provided for.

Mr Shailesh Vara: No civil servants in the Northern Ireland Office are provided with a dedicated official car or a driver.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Gaming Machines

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of his Department's review of gaming machines on trends in the level of betting shop closures.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made the effect of potential betting shop closures as a result of changes to the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals on trends in the level of illegal gambling.

Tracey Crouch: The consultation on proposals for changes to gaming machines and social responsibility measures closed on 23 January and the responses are being considered. The Government’s response will be published in due course with a revised final impact assessment.

Sports: Charities

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to grant charitable status to grass-root sports clubs.

Tracey Crouch: Grassroots sports clubs can achieve status comparable to charitable status through the existing Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) scheme. If a sports club is eligible, and achieves CASC status it would receive tax relief on income, gains and profits from some activities, Gift Aid repayments on donations and business rates relief. For more information on CASCs, grass-roots sports clubs can visit the Sport England website.

Gaming Machines

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the level of consistency between the recent advice of the Gambling Commission to his Department and the proposed reduction in the maximum stake for fixed-odds betting terminals to £2.

Tracey Crouch: On 31 October 2017 the government published proposals for changes on gaming machines and social responsibility measures. The consultation outlined options for cutting the maximum stake of Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals to between £50 and £2 and invited views. The consultation closed on 23 January. On 19 March the Gambling Commission published its advice which recommended that the maximum stakes be cut to between £30 and £2, with the exact level being a matter for judgement by the Government. The Government will consider this alongside the responses received by the consultation and will publish its response in due course.

Information Commissioner

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what funding the Government plans to allocate from the public purse for the Information Commissioner's Office in each of the next three years.

Margot James: The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is predominantly funded through charges levied on data controllers (the notification fee, to be replaced with the data protection charge when the Data Protection {Charges and Information} Regulations 2018 come into force on 25th May 2018). The Government provides Grant in Aid funding to the ICO in respect of 4 distinct regulatory obligations: Freedom of Information; eIDAS, the Investigatory Powers Act and Networks and Information Systems (NIS). The projected funding for the next 2 years is summarised below. The year 2020/21 is outside of the current Spending Review, so figures have not yet been confirmed:   2018/19 (forecast)*2019/20 (forecast)*2020/21 (forecast)*£4,250k**£4,250kAs this is outside of the current Spending Review period, it is not possible to supply forecasted funding figures. * These figures do not include the Investigatory Powers Act funding which is provided directly by the Home Office.**An advance of £1.4m Programme GiA funding was provided in 2017/18, and is offset by a reduction of £1.4m in 2018/19. This has not been reflected in the figures above.

Celtic Football Club

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has plans to visit Celtic Park football stadium to make an assessment of the merits of their rail seating installation.

Tracey Crouch: The Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) is the regulatory body responsible for overseeing and advising on safety at sports grounds. DCMS officials together with those from the SGSA have visited Celtic Park to view the rail seating in operation. The SGSA has produced a technical report on the Installation of Dual Purpose Seating and Standing Area at Celtic Park, Glasgow, following its introduction at that ground. We will be publishing this report in due course.

Women and Equalities

Discrimination

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the list of protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010 and in Article 14 of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Victoria Atkins: The protected characteristics provided for in Section 4 of the Equality Act 2010 reflect the progressive development over time of the UK’s world leading approach to equalities legislation, covering all those required by EU law, together with “marriage and civil partnership”. Protections available across the range of protected characteristics exceed EU requirements, as they include proscription of unlawful discrimination by providers of goods and services because of age, disability, sexual orientation and religion or belief. Article 14 (non-discrimination) of the European Convention for the protection of Human Rights works differently from the Equality Act 2010 by providing for a right not to be discriminated against, on various grounds, in respect of the other rights set out in the Convention. Section 1 of, and Schedule 1 to, the Human Rights Act 1998 give Article 14 further effect in UK domestic law.

Facial Disfigurement

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department takes to ensure that those with facial disfigurements are not subject to discrimination on the basis of their appearance and emotional well-being; and if she will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: People with severe disfigurements are treated as having a disability for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 and therefore benefit from the same protections from discrimination as any other person with a disability. These protections span a number of situations and circumstances including the provision of goods and services and employment. As with other aspects of civil law it is for those who feel that they have been discriminated against to personally seek advice or redress by bringing the case to court. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) also has a monitoring and enforcement role in relation to the Equality Act 2010. If the EHRC suspects someone of committing a breach of the discrimination provisions, it can conduct an investigation and take action to ensure they avoid a continuation or repetition of that breach. In addition, the Equality Advisory and Support Service provides free advice and support to individuals with any discrimination concerns, whether these relate to physical or mental health conditions.

Government Equalities Office: Training

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what training her Department has provided to (a) general civil servants, (b) fast stream civil servants and (c) senior civil servants on devolution and inter-governmental relations; how many such courses have taken place; and how many civil servants have attended such training courses in each of the last five years.

Victoria Atkins: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) does not provide formal training on devolution or inter-Governmental relations. All staff working at GEO will have access to the centrally provided Civil Service Learning training courses and are encouraged to undertake training as part of their personal and career development. GEO staff will also have access to additional Department for Education provided training courses, as GEO obtains its HR support through this department. Additionally, staff may receive more informal training and learning and development opportunities through shadowing, mentoring and on the job learning from colleagues and others, particularly those working on devolution isses. Information about individual staff training, learning and development is not collected centrally.